Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, is most widely celebrated festival in India. It is popular in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Bangladesh, etc. It is a multi-day festival in which families get together, visit pandals (temples), gifts are distributed, people buy new clothes and cultural events are organised. This year, it is being celebrated from 15th October to 19th October.
It is widely celebrated in Bengal and without authentic dishes; any festive celebration would be incomplete. So, here are some of the Bengali dishes which must be tried during this festive season:
BREAKFAST
- Luchi
Luchi is very popular breakfast in West Bengal made during Durga puja celebration. It is a deep fried Indian flatbread, very similar to poori and is best served with curries, but is mostly considered with Alur Torkari, Cholar Dal and Boondi.
- Alur Torkari
In other words it is Bengali Dum Aloo. It takes less time preparation as well as requires fewer ingredients; it is a simple yet delicious potato recipe. It is best served with Luchi.
- Dhakai Paratha
It is Traditional Bengali Paratha with tricky recipie which is popular in Kolkata as well as Dhaka. It looks like luchi or poori and has multiple layers inside which seems to be like laccha paratha. So in other words it is cross between luchi and laccha parantha.
LUNCH
- Shukto
It is an authentic Bengali dish. It is a healthy dish prepared with lots of vegetables such as sweet potatoes, eggplants, drumsticks, bitter gourd and dried lentil dumpling (bori) with freshly grounded spices and milk to give the dish a thick texture.
- Lal Shak Bhaja
It is stir fried red spinach which is considered with dal and vegetables. Lal shak or red spinach is stir fried with onion, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. It is very delicious as well as healthy to eat.
DINNER
Cholar Dal
Cholar Dal is very special Bengal gram dal which is made during festival season; any festival will be incomplete without this recipe. Essential ingredients used for making this dal are Cholar Dal or Bengal Gram, coconut, spices, raisin and cashews. It looks delicious as well as tastes incredible and it goes best with luchi.
Navratan Korma
It is very healthy as well as royal recipe too. Navratan Korma means nine jewels in silky buttery sauce. It includes many vegetables such as carrot, capsicum, green peas, sweet corn as well as paneer (cottage cheese).
DESSERT
Mishti Doi
Bengali festival is incomplete without this sweet yogurt. Mishti Doi is thick and dense like creamy cheese cake in texture with chopped dry fruits like almonds, pistachios, etc. sprinkled on it giving a crunchy texture to this dessert. Mishti Doi is eaten after the meal which quickly cools you down leaving delicious flavour in your mouth.
Malpua
It is a popular dessert from North India, which is made of semolina and flour batter dipped in sugar syrup with chopped nuts and dry fruits like almonds and pistachios sprinkled on it.
Komola Bhog
Bengal is famous for its ‘Rasgulla’ so as ‘Bengalis’. Rasgulla or rosogolla is the most famous dessert which is made from cottage cheese and is filled with sugar syrup. The texture is so soft and spongy that it just melts in your mouth. There are varieties of rasgulla such as Raj Bhog, Kamola Bhog etc. Komola Bhog is mostly available in festive season especially on Durga Puja. It is orange in colour due to saffron and is filled with dry fruits in the middle thus adding crunchy texture to these soft dumplings. These are basically bigger than regular rasgullas.
Shor Bhaja
Bengalis sweet are known for its incredible mouth-watering taste. One of the leading sweet is shor bhaja or sar bhaja. It is made during festival times only, it is purely made from milk cream, sometimes khoya and chenna is also added. This dessert is deep fried and then soaked into sugar syrup which makes it soft and spongy.
Snacks
Spicy Khara Boondi
Boondi is Indian gram flour fritters. Khara Boondi is spiced version of boondi. Boondi is mixed with spices and toasted peanuts, cashews, and curry leaves. It is easy to prepare as well as delicious to eat
Phuchka
Phuchka is also known as golgappa and pani-puri which is widely available as street snack in India. It is a hollow fried crisp which is filled with flavoured spice mix water; it is also served with onion, potatoes or chickpeas to give more texture.
Kucho Nimki
Kucho means ‘small’ and Nimki means ‘Salt’. It is also known as ‘namak para’ which is diamond shaped pastry and is very popular in Bengal, mostly popular in Durga Puja festive season. Kucho namki is deep fried snack which is seasoned with salt and Kalonji (Klotrgi).
Mochar Chop
It is a Banana flower cutlet which is very popular street food in Kolkata. Banana flower is a unique vegetable which can be used in curries, koftas, cutlets etc. It is made from deep frying the inner part of the banana flower by adding spices into it.
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